Rising Demand and Falling Patient Ages at Fertility Clinics
Elective egg freezing, formally called oocyte preservation, has grown substantially over the past decade as vitrification techniques have improved and more women have chosen to delay pregnancy.
Public figures have also brought renewed attention to the procedure. US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on social media that she is freezing her eggs to feel more in control of her life, joining a growing number of public figures including media personality Kourtney Kardashian, actor Rebel Wilson, and actor Florence Pugh who have shared similar plans.
Biological Timeline and Ideal Treatment Windows
Unlike men, who produce new sperm every day, women are born with a finite supply of eggs that diminishes in both quantity and quality over time, according to Dr. Pardis Hosseinzadeh, assistant professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Johns Hopkins Medicine. A female baby is typically born with about 1 million to 2 million eggs, a number that drops by about 10,000 a month before puberty and roughly 1,000 a month after puberty.
By age 30, a woman retains approximately 70,000 eggs, and by age 40, that number drops to about 18,000, with roughly half being abnormal and unlikely to result in pregnancy. According to Dr. Charley Zheng, a fertility specialist and obstetrician at Adora Fertility, female age is the single biggest factor affecting conception success. Dr. Zheng notes that a 32-year-old who freezes five eggs has a 55 percent chance of a live birth, whereas a 38-year-old who freezes the same number of eggs has only a 26 percent chance, making the ideal window between 30 and 35 years old.
Medical Evaluation and the Egg Retrieval Process
The egg freezing process begins with a comprehensive physical exam to evaluate whether a patient is a suitable candidate. Physicians review medical history, order blood and hormone tests, and perform a transvaginal ultrasound to estimate the remaining egg supply, as outlined by Dr. Hosseinzadeh.
Regular blood tests and ultrasounds monitor progress before a trigger medication such as Lupron, Ovidrel, or Pregnyl is administered 36 hours prior to retrieval. The retrieval itself is an ultrasound-guided outpatient procedure performed under general anesthesia, lasting 10 to 30 minutes, according to Dr. Mindy Christianson, chief of the Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Practice at Cleveland Clinic Fertility Center. Afterward, an embryologist checks the eggs before they undergo vitrification, a rapid-freezing process utilizing liquid nitrogen.
Costs and Financial Considerations
The financial investment for egg freezing typically ranges between $4,000 and $10,000 per cycle.
Keep reading